The fans that filled the Bob Carpenter Center for the DIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament last week will recognize the first four teams that have committed to play in the new Slam Dunk to the Beach tournament.

DIAA champion Salesianum, runner-up St. Georges, semifinalist Cape Henlopen and quarterfinalist Sanford will be part of the new Slam Dunk, to be played Dec. 27-29 at Cape Henlopen High. The first four teams were announced as part of the annual Blue-Gold basketball banquet Thursday night at Dover Downs.

Slam Dunk to the Beach was one of the nation's top high school boys basketball tournaments from 1990-2003, attracting teams featuring such future NBA stars as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to Cape Henlopen. But founder Bobby Jacobs abruptly canceled the tournament in November 2004, citing health issues. In the weeks that followed, a series of vendors and businesses came forward to say they had not been paid by Jacobs for the 2003 tournament.

In January 2008, Jacobs was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended, and was ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution after pleading no contest to one felony count of misappropriation of property for taking thousands of dollars from the tournament funds.

The Delaware Sports Commission, a group of sports and business leaders formed in 2008 to increase economic impact in Delaware through sporting events, founded the new Slam Dunk last fall. DSC chairman Matthew Robinson is the tournament's chairman.

"The players who will play in it this year, you've got to wonder if they have any recollection of the last one," Robinson said. "I've been saying it's time to start making history and stop talking about it. We're really excited to have this generation of players get it going again."

Robinson said the entire field will be announced this summer, with 12 to 16 teams expected to compete. He expects one more Delaware team to be added, along with top teams from around the country.

Due to the varying rules of different state athletic associations, Robinson said some teams will play one Slam Dunk game, some will play two games and some will play three games during the three-day event. Robinson said Sanford and Salesianum each have committed to play three games.

Robinson said the Slam Dunk to the Beach schedule will be finalized in the fall.